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TV Monday: Getting to know the new Bachelor

Juan Pablo Galavis, who looked for love on The Bachelorette last year, is nothing if not persistent. Photo: ABC

Lindsey Ward

Published: January 6, 2014 - 2:27 AM

Updated: January 3, 2014 - 2:42 PM

Anyone with a romantic fibre in their body — and a taste for sappy reality TV — knows The Bachelor is back in action this week.

But who the heck is the sexy Spanish man handing out roses this season, anyway?

His name is Juan Pablo, and despite making it into Desiree Hartsock’s top seven on The Bachelorette last spring, he remains a lonely single dad looking for love in all the wrong places (television, perhaps, being one of them).

Anyways, let’s get to know this hunk a bit better — before we get to know him a lot better on The Bachelor’s 17th season, premièring Monday.

Um, what’s his name again? Juan Pablo Galavis.

How old? 32.

Where’s he from? Miami.

But he was born in New York and raised in Venezuela. He returned to the U.S. to play soccer in college, and later joined Miami FC.

What does he do for a living? Since retiring in 2008, the former professional footballer has started a career in the entertainment biz as a music promoter and TV presenter.

What does he do for fun? He loves his salsa — both the dance form and the kind you dip with chips. And of course, hanging out with his four-year-old daughter Camila.

What is he looking for in a wife? It’s more like, what is Camila looking for?

Pablo says he has to be serious about a woman before he’ll even introduce her to his daughter — who, BTW, hopes to have a brother and a sister some day.

“She’s got to love my daughter because she can’t love me if she doesn’t like my daughter,” he says.

Which of the 27 women stand a chance with him?

Shot in the dark here, but we’re thinking Sacramento’s Clare — who shows up seven months pregnant — might have a hard time scoring Juan Pablo (if she doesn’t go into labour first).

But perhaps single mom Cassandra, nurse Nikki, realtor Renee and teacher Elise will have a better chance? We shall see …

(7 p.m. CT, 9 p.m. MT, 8 p.m. ET/PT, ABC/Citytv)

Dylan McDermott comforts his on-screen daughter, played by Lola Cook, on Hostages

Three to see:

• Does the kidnappers’ plan fall through? It all comes down to the two-hour season finale of Hostages, where Dr. Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette) faces the first lady before she heads to the operating room to work on the president. Meanwhile, FBI bad-guy Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott) finds the silver lining to being betrayed by Sandrine (Sandrine Holt). (8 p.m. CT, 9 p.m. ET/MT/PT, CTV/CBS)

• Antiques Roadshow is kicking off its 18th season Monday with an embarrassment of riches — a first edition of the Book of Mormon, an 1858 painting by Sanford Robinson Gifford and a 1955 Madoura plate designed by Picasso himself. But really, would you expect anything less? (7 p.m. CT, 9 p.m. MT, 8 p.m. ET/PT, PBS)

• If the names of the competitors on the third edition of Rachel vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-off sound familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen them on other reality shows. But since “celebrity” is such a loose term these days, we’ll give it to Judy Gold, Florence Henderson, Penn Jillette, Chris Kattan, Jake Pavelka, Tiffany, Vanilla Ice and Herschel Walker. The crew will hone their cooking skills on Team Rachael Ray and Team Guy Fieri to raise cash for charity. (9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. MT, 6 p.m. PT, Food)